Ranking of world's most powerful passports dominated by Asian countries

In the latest real-time update of the Henley Passport Index, the podium is topped by a trio of Asian countries.

Going into 2019, Japan leads the charts, with citizens enjoying visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 190 destinations around the world -- the most of any other country.

Singapore and South Korea share second spot at 189 countries, while France and Germany are tied at third spot.

Overall, Asian countries dominate the latest updated index, signaling Asia's growing mobility and the world's open-door policy to countries in the region -- an asset that has the potential to contribute billions to the global economy and create employment opportunities around the world, says Henley index creator Christian Kaelin.

Notable movers in the latest ranking include South Korea, which reached a new high in second spot, while the US and UK jointly share sixth spot -- a significant fall from grace, given they jointly held the top spot in 2015.

The ranking indexes 185 countries and is based on data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA).

Here are the world's most powerful passports according to the latest Henley Passport Index:

1. Japan

2. South Korea, Singapore

3. France, Germany

4. Denmark, Finland, Italy, Sweden

5. Spain, Luxembourg

6. Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, US, UK,

7. Belgium, Canada, Greece, Ireland

8. Czech Republic

9. Malta

10. Australia